What is music?

Today has been blessed: sunshine, working in the garden with my little brother and sister, visiting the library (which I have not been in for several months due to being away at school), walking dogs, and just having a peaceful day.
It was a great adventure to visit the library again.  It is preparing for its summer reading program, so the large window was being painted with a mural about "digging in to reading."  I was there with two of my sisters and my brother, and we spent some time browsing the shelves of movies and books.  I brought home some fun titles in the DVD realm (Stuart Little, Balto, and Flicka, which I have not seen yet, but thought looked good), and my little sister brought home a DVD of 3 Arthur episodes, which is still one of my favorite childhood TV shows.  We also looked through a number of titles among the books and books on tape.
We've broken out a jigsaw puzzle at home (1000 pieces, if anyone's curious), and my mom suggested that we listen to books on tape while we work on it; this way the younger ones can work on their summer reading sheets more, and it's enjoyable.  I was happy to find one of my favorite books on tape of all time there: Ella Enchanted (by Gail Carson Levine), as read by Eden Riegel.  This Cinderella re-telling is itself a wonderful story; but since my first experience of it was the book on tape, the recording has a special place in my heart. :)
Eden Riegel is the only one narrating the story, but makes a point to make the voice of each character distinct and believable.  This takes a lot of talent and imagination.  I like this about her as a narrator.  Some people try to do this, but are unable to do it well.  She has mastered the art.  Personally, I like narrated stories where each character has its own voice, even when they're done by a whole cast.  It makes the story more real to me, more interesting.
The story is about a young girl named Ella, who was given a "gift" by a fairy when she was very  young.  She was "blessed" with the gift of obedience: she would do whatever she was told no matter what she was told to do or who told her to do it.  This is more of a curse than a gift, as we soon see in the story and the struggles that Ella has to face.  Ella's father sends her away to boarding school with two unbearable girls, one of whom schemes to make Ella's life miserable beyond belief.  Ella makes her get-away and attempts to find the fairy who cursed her to ask her to free her from her gift.  In her journeys, she befriends the prince of her country: Charmont, or Char as he prefers.  (Char is one of my favorite book characters.)  I won't give away more than that, as I am one who hates spoilers.
Another thing I love about this book recording is that there is music with it.  The music is not constantly in the background; but it is a gorgeous addition to some of the best scenes in the story.  The melodies are enchanting (no pun intended).  They spark my imagination and stir my heart.  I could listen to that music again and again, its melodies are so beautiful and unique.  They really set the scene in your imagination and work magic in helping you picture and feel the moment.
This brings me to the subject of the title: what is music?  One of my favorite quotes about music is from Victor Hugo:  "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words, and cannot remain silent."  Anyone who has experienced the beauty of music knows what this means.  Have you ever listened to a song, a classical melody or soundtrack, and it stirred your heart in a way that you cannot describe?  It's as if it expresses something that we know and have felt, but that we've never been able to say.  I honestly believe that this is where the great composers (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and even artists today like Thomas Newman, Howard Shore, and Hans Zimmer) drew from in their compositions.  They can express the beautiful sounds of a rushing brook, or the love with which a heartfelt letter was written.  These things that we cannot say that cannot be silent: this is music.
One of my favorite movies begins with a quote that reads: "If there is any magic to be found on earth, it is contained in water."  While I believe that certainly could be true (I have always loved the sight, sound, and feel of water), I think another "magic", or in this case, gift of God's great beauty and wonder, that has touched this earth is music.

"Bach gave us God's word; Beethoven gave us God's fire; Mozart gave us God's laughter; God gave us music that we might praise Him without words."

This is a saying that I have seen on many posters.  As a Catholic, I love what the Church has to say about glorifying God through art.  Music is a gift of heaven, and I must say there are melodies that have touched my ears and raised my mind and heart to heaven, or taken me back in time to the quiet moments of the life of Christ, or inspired me to create stories and adventures in my imagination.  Music is not only "that which cannot be expressed with words, and cannot remain silent," is is God's gift to us by which He speaks to our souls and we can respond.